Valve.



J. E. KEPPEL.

VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 19:6.

Patented July 31, 1917.

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JESSE E. KEPPEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOUEI, ASSIG-IIUB T0 VULCAN VALVE COMPANY, OF

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A COREQRATION OF MISSOURI.

VALVE essee-"z,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, E. Kurrup, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, here invented. new and useful improvements 1n. Valves, oi which the following is a specificetion,

This invention relates to fluid pressure valves, and has special reference to an improved valve for use 1n connection with pneumatic tires of vehicles.

Valves as now generally used in this connection are, relatively speaking, quite cornplicated and it is therefore one of the principal objects of my invention to provide a valve which shall be characterized by extreme simplicity in construction. A further object of invention is to proa Ade a valve of the character indicated which shall be sensitive and reliable in operation, and, as an incident to its simple construction, on which will not be liable to get out of order, and which will therefore have the maximum life.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional v ew through my improved valve and the casing inc-losing the Same;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the valve rerioved from the casing; and

Fig. 3 is a view of the valve member and its stem.

Reierrin now to the drawing, the nu nieral 1 int icates the valve casing, which is of a well-known type, The valve casing is provided with longitudinal air duct 2, and at its upper end with a reduced portion 3, which is exteriorly end interiorly screwthreaded. ht its upper portion below the reduced end 3 the air duct is enlarged to provide a chamber l for receiving the valve 5, comprising a valve-shell 6, and a valvemember 7. The valve-shell is tubular in form, and at its upper end is provided with a. non-circular portion 8, and below said noncircular portion with a shoulder 9 which forms a seatfor a g :et 10, which may be of rubber, fiber, lea r, or other suitable material. Below the shoulder 9 the valveshell is provided with a screw-threaded portion 11-, and below the screw-threaded portion with a reduced cylindrical portion 12, which is provided intermediate its length with a series of apertures 13, opening into Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d July Application filed February 17, 1918. Serial No, 73,3 r v I, i. y

the annular space around the cylindrical portion within the enlarged valve chamber l. At a suitable distance above the apertures 13 a valve-scat 14 is provided upon which emerges the inner end of an inlet air duct 5, the same being located on the interior of the cylindrical portion 12. The valve-member 7 is in the form of a hollow cylindrical piston, closed at its upperrend and open at its lower end, its upper end having secured thereto one end of a valve-stem 15, which passes through duct 5 t0 the outer end of the shell. Surrounding said valvestem and lying on the upper end vof the valve-member 7 is a rubber gasket 16 in the form of a relatively deep cushion which is adapted, in operation, to he forced by the pressure of the air in the tire against the valve-seat 14 and prevent egress of air from the tire. The valve-member 7 is of such a length that when its upper end is seated against the valve-seat 14: it will then extend past the apertures 13 and close them, and is of a diameter to snugly fit as a substantially air-tight piston in the interior of the cylindrical portion 12 while free to move therein. In placing the valve in the casing l a suitable key may be applied to the non-circular portion 8 for the purpose of screwing the screw-threaded portion 11 into engagement with the interior threads of the end portion 3; and when screwed down to bring the gasket 10 into contact with the upper end of said reduced portion, -the cylindrical portion 12 of said valve will be housed in the chamher i, which chamber is of such sizev as to permit the ready escape of air, in'inflating the tire, through the apertures 13, and past the lower end of the valve-member into the air duct 2.

In the inflating operation the valve-memher 7 will be unscated by the pressure of the inflating air flowing in through the inflation duct 5 and its upper end will be forced below the apertures 13 to permit the passage of the air through said apertures and the air duct 2 into the tire. As soon as the pressure of inflation ceases the pressure of the air on the interior of the tire will force the valve-member upward to bring the gasket 16 into contact with the valveseat 14, and also to 'cause the body of the valve-member to close the apertures 13, the

latter being practicall and as the valve-mem "onits lower end, and this cylindrical portion 12 sufficiently close to provide also practically a sealing connection, there can be no direct passage of the air from the tire around the sides of the valve niember, especially at the seat portion thereof, which might tend to balance the pressure of'air on the valve and permit it to readily unseat. The valve member and the cylindrical guide portion of the shell cooperate to form an air pocket which is open ocket partially confines the air so as to e 'e'ct the closing movement of the valve member by the back pressure. As indicated in Fig. 1 the va ve member does not extend up on the side of the gasket cushion, that is to say, the side of the cushion is left uncovered so'that it lies adjacent to the inner face of the cylindrical guide wall. The valve-member 7 being hollow and open at its lower end, the air from the tire, enters said valve and the back pressure of said air is thereforemore effective in closing the valve securely than would be the case if the valve-member were solid and the pressure of the airwere exerted on the end thereof. Infurther enpla' nation of this construction, it may be stated that as with the hollow valve-member the.

. solely on the end of the valve-member, there would be-some likelihood of the Valvemem- 'ber, especially after continued use, being canted b the air pressure frorn'a movement in'fa. rig 1; line and of not seating squarely againstithevalve-seat 1%. V I

'The;end -face of the gasket 16 comes directly against the'valve seat 14. The side face of. the gasket is cylindrical and lies adjacent to the'inner face of the cylindrical porti'o'n12; I ain aware that tapered conical gaskets have been. employed in valves of f 7 this kind but it is evident that such a gasket is a compressible cushion and whenit comes lapon a,conic al seat there is a tendency for tie gasket to move deeply into the seat the action being somewhat the same as that of a'cork or stopperin a bottle; that is to, say, s'uchfa-v'alve tends to stick on its seat and will-not'open with the same freedom as a valve having the features described. At the same time, 1t is evident that in my valve the cylindrical side face lies close to the wallet the cylindrical guide for the valve and consequently under the action of the airrpressure on the interior of the tire, my

valve gasket will operate as an efiective plug, but as soon as the pressure is relieved it does'not hinder the free opening of the valve.

As shown in. Fig.1, when the valve is closed the side face of the i e against the wall of it 15 oh- While l have shown the upper end. of the valve asbeing provided with a non-circular or squared portion 8, 1 wish it uncle stood that any suitable means other the n that shown may be provided to enable the valve to be screwed intc the casing,

mention the obvious expedient such as is provided in the head of an ordinary screw, permitting the device to be Z gnight' a slot,

screwed home by screw-driver; It is not deemed necessary, however, to illustrate this latter or any equivalent means for enabling the valve to be turned by a suitable iniple- 1 ment. 7 V

It will be understood of course hat the stem 15 for the purpose of 1 .16

valveineniber to deflate tie tirewhen no essary, and that 'a suitable cap will be screwed on the reduced portion 8 to cover the end of the valve casing.

er z vious that the pressure tie valve will tend compress the a spread it latenlly that it o e A fectively, not only to act as a clos Seat l hbnt also actsas a seal at cireuzre ferential face of the gasket. r

' I claim; r V V 7 ;1. in valve mechanism of the class described, the combination of a reincvably hack of the:

ice

mounted shell having interior with a duct emerging upon said sea having a cylindrical portion previsied with aperturesadjacent said seat, a cylindriea valve meinber mounted to slide as a substan tially air-tight pistonrin said cylindrical portion to close said apertures when on said 7 seat, and operating to move to-and uncover said apertures when the valve opens said shell being open its inner portion to es pose said valve-mom er to the back pressure to enable the back pressure to lllOVr the V valve-member onto its seat and make an all; 7

tight closure at said seat,- and a val having an enlarged valve ch22" n ceive said cylindrical portion; an annular space thereabout with which said apertures communicate, said shell having means for engaging said valve member to retain the same.

2. In a valve-mechanism of the class described, the combination of a valve-shell having a single valve-seat with a duct therethrough, said shell having -a circumferentially continuons cylindrical guide with form an.

apertures thenethrough adjacent said seat, a

cylindrical valve member 0 en at its lower end mounted to slide in, an guided by said cylindrical portion, a gasket in the form of a compressible cushion with a cylindrical side face, and mounted on the end of said valve member, to engage said seat with the .end face of said gasket, said gasket lying between said apertures and said seat when the valve is in its closed position, and a valve casing having an air duct and an enlarged valve having a valve seat with a duct therethrough. said shell having cylindrical guide walls with apertures theretlirougli adjacent said seat. a cylindrical valve member mounted to slide in, and guided by said cylindrical portion, a gasket in the form of a compressible cushion with a cylindrical side face, and mounted on the end of said valve member to engage said seat with the end face of said gasket, said gasket lying between said apertures and said seat when the valve is in its closed position, said valve movable to an open position to uncover said apertures, and a valve casing having an enlarged valve chamber to receive said cylindrical portion and forming an annular space thereabout with which said apertures communicate, the said cylindrical side face of said cushion being uncovered and lying against the inner face of said guide wall when the valve is in its closed position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JESSE E. KEPPEL.

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